Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris has today urged students to apply for the SUSI grant before July 9th in order to have their application prioritised.
In a press statement, Harris said that he wanted to encourage “any remaining students who think they might be eligible for support, to submit their online student grant applications to SUSI without delay; to ensure that they are processed as quickly as possible”.
Harris added that students and their families who have lost income as a result of the coronavirus may have their applications reviewed, if they can prove that the change in income will continue over the course of the next academic year or for “the foreseeable future”.
Minister Harris said: “As Minister for Higher Education, I am committed to building an inclusive higher education system and SUSI grants are an excellent resource for eligible students to avail of.”
“Covid-19 has caused significant disruption across the country and students have had to deal with the closure of colleges, and a disruption to their studies.”
“I am conscious this pandemic has also resulted in a loss of income for many families and created a time of financial worry in many households. I want to assure people that there is scope to address loss of income as part of the grant scheme.
The priority date for students who have already received the grant in the past was June 11th.
Last year, 96,000 students applied for a SUSI grant, and 73,000 students received the grant. This year 75,000 students have applied for the grant.
In May, the Irish Times reported that the government expects a record number of applications to SUSI this year.
Some 10,000 students applied for the grant on the day the scheme opened.The increase comes as families and students grapple with an uncertain financial future as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Correction: 11:08am, July 1st, 2020
The headline, subheading and opening paragraph on an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Simon Harris urged incoming freshers to apply for the SUSI grant before June 7th. In fact, he urged them to apply for the grant before July 7th.
